


A Small Gesture

by SmoISuppose



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/M, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2018-02-04
Packaged: 2019-03-13 11:51:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13570035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmoISuppose/pseuds/SmoISuppose
Summary: A canon-divergent retelling of the Nancy/Jonathan Christmas scene from season one. Inspired by a screenshot of an alternative take of the scene, where Nancy is touching Jonathan’s face with one hand as she kisses his cheek – the effect is quite different, and it looks much more romantic than the final scene. Made me think about how one small gesture could have changed the course of my OTP’s relationship.





	A Small Gesture

_24 December, 1983_

As he was walking with Will to the Wheelers’ front door, he heard a voice behind him. ‘Hey, Jonathan, wait up.’

It was her. God, she was beautiful. Her long hair hung loose, and her incredible blue eyes somehow looked even bigger than usual. She was wearing a yellow sweater, and he tried not to think about how soft the fabric would feel if he reached out and touched her.

‘Hey,’ he croaked.

The two of them hadn’t really talked since Will’s return. They’d never really talked before Will’s disappearance either, so he told himself they’d just gone back to how things had always been. But the truth was he’d been avoiding her – if he saw her coming down the hallway towards him at school, he’d duck into the nearest classroom until he was sure she’d passed, whereas before they would have just passed each other without a second thought. For those few days last month, he’d felt totally comfortable with her, because they were both focused on what they had to do. But now the only reason for spending time with her was because he liked her, which meant just the thought of talking to her made his whole body seize up, and he suspected he wouldn’t have been able to say anything coherent if he tried.

Besides, he knew there was no way she could feel the same way. She thought he was a pretentious creep, the school weirdo. A girl like Nancy Wheeler would never want to spend time with a guy like him, especially with the rumours about the two of them that had ricocheted around the school. The that ones painted him as a perv (a fair call, he was embarrassed to admit), and her as a slut. He was sure she was desperate for the stories to die off, and the two of them being seen together at school would have the exact opposite effect, even now that she and Steve were back together.

Nancy smiled shyly and held a present out toward him. ‘Merry Christmas.’

He blushed as he took it from her. ‘Thanks. Um, I didn’t get you anything … I feel bad.’

‘No, it’s not really a present.’ She shook her head, as though she was searching for the right words. ‘It’s … Well, you’ll see.’

The gift had been unexpected, but what Nancy did next really threw him off guard. Resting one hand gently on his chest, she reached up and kissed him on the cheek. Instinctively, he placed one hand at her waist, to steady her, and he felt her breath hitch as his hand came into contact with her body. Did she feel how fast his heart was beating under her hand? She must; he could practically hear it. But she didn’t pull away. After she kissed his cheek, she drew her head back, but only a few inches. He felt her hand arch slightly against his chest, so that only her fingertips and wrist were touching him, and somehow that felt much more intimate. He made a similar gesture at her waist, clasping the fine wool between his fingers. She felt so delicate, with her slender waist and fine features, but he knew that inside she was pure steel.

Their faces were so close that he could feel her breath. She looked up at him from under her lashes, her eyes dropping to his lips for a moment. When she met his gaze again, there was a question in her eyes. Maybe it was just wishful thinking, but he thought he knew what she was asking, so he closed the space between them and pressed his lips to hers.

He’d never kissed anyone before, and it was only once he’d started kissing her that he remembered this and started to panic. Was he doing it wrong? But she seemed to be responding, parting her lips slightly, so he went with it. The kiss probably only lasted a few seconds, but time seemed to slow down, and warmth spread through his whole body.

She smiled as they broke apart. ‘Merry Christmas,’ she said again, her voice softer and huskier now.

‘Merry Christmas,’ he replied, sounding pretty husky himself.

He snapped back to reality when he heard Will clearing his throat behind him. He swung around to see a look on his brother’s face that made clear he was about to face a barrage of questions on the drive home, questions that he was pretty sure he didn’t know the answers to.

The first one came as soon as he shut the door behind them ‘So is Nancy your girlfriend now?’

‘No, we’re … I don’t know. It’s complicated.’

 _Complicated_ was a major understatement. He had no idea where things stood between them, or what would happen from here. But at least now he knew that she felt something for him too – and that he had the courage not to hide from his own feelings.

**Author's Note:**

> Sidenote: Am I the only person who felt bad for Joyce at the end of the S1 finale? Like, I absolutely believe that she would have bought a camera to give Jonathan for Christmas. It’s all wrapped and waiting for him underneath the tree, and then he comes home with a fancy new camera from Nancy. It’s Christmas eve, and all the shops are closed, so she has no way of getting him something else. She’s been worried that she’s neglected him a little over the last couple of months, with everything that’s been going on with Will – how’s he going to feel tomorrow morning, when she gives Will an Atari and a bunch of other things, and all she has for him is a sweater and a copy of Breakfast of Champions? Poor Joyce – she tries so hard to be a good mother, but she just can’t catch a break.  
> Thank you for coming to my TED talk.


End file.
